Made It Through The Rain
by CatAmongPidgeons
Summary: A marine has been murdered and the only clue leads to a D.C. greengrocers and a trainee named Katlyn Todd. Spoilers for Grace Period, Judgement Day and Twilight.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to, I don't own NCIS *weeps*.**

_A marine was found dead, the team have been working on the case for over a week. With no leads. A devoted wife, no suspicious phone calls. Nothing._

Gibbs watched Tony stretch and yawn as he woke up. Usually, this would have prompted a remark from one of the team, but they had been working on this case 36 hours solid. He himself had only just woken up, McGee had fallen onto the floor, Ziva lay slumped over her desk, she was smiling softly, "Tali, stop it." she muttered.

Tony suddenly scrambled upright frantically, tapping at his keyboard. "Boss, I think I've got something."

McGee had woken up on Tony's shout. "Huh?"

Tony had become almost immediately animated. "Good old fashioned Police Work, McGroggy."

"DiNozzo!"

"Sorry, boss. The sergeant made _a lot_ of phone calls to the local green grocers." Tony explained.

Gibbs already knew this. "So? The man likes his greens delivered on time."

"But the greengrocers don't deliver. The only reason I can think of for that many calls, boss is..."

"... a lover." Gibbs finished. "ZIVA, wake up. We've got a lead."

McGee began to put his hand in the air before remembering that he wasn't in school. "Boss, the grocers don't open till half eight. We'll have to wait forty-five minutes. Boss."

*

Gibbs slammed the bell on the counter impatiently, twelve times consecutively. Eventually, a woman in her late thirties came out behind the counter.

"Sorry for making you wait. I thought the Boss... I mean, Harry was up here. I'm Katlyn. What can I help you with?" Her eyes flickered from Gibbs to Tony, Tony to Ziva and Ziva to McGee. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Tony opened his mouth but shut it again. The other two, uncertain on what to do waited for Gibbs to act. He pulled out a photograph. "Do you know this man... Katlyn?"

"Sure." As she took the sheet, her hand trembled slightly. "That's, um, he came here quite a lot, Barry. Barry Coleman." She finished with conviction, nodding her head.

"Came?" Gibbs asked.

"I haven't seen him for about two weeks. Look what's this about?"

"Sergeant Coleman's been found dead. Almost nine days ago."

"Oh, my..." She broke down as her boss came in.

"Hey, hey, Kate. It's fine." He turned angrily, to face Gibbs. "What do you think you're doin'? I say, what do you think you're doin'? Upsetting my employees, that's what. I think we should have a word outside." He had a strong Manchester accent.

Gibbs nodded. "Maybe we should. Everyone get out, except you, Ziva. And Ziva, don't say _anything_."

*

Gibbs turned to face Harry. "What do you know about, Katlyn?"

Harry stoutly stood his ground under Gibbs' glare. "Her name's Katlyn Todd, and she's the best damned worker in this place."

Tony and Tim exchanged a glance. Gibbs ignored them and continued without a twitch.

"About her past."

Harry looked at Gibbs and shook his head sadly, "She firs' came to work for me a couple of years ago. She was released from a hospital in downtown D.C. Lost 'er memory, she 'ad. Poor girl. All she can remember is the name Katlyn Todd and an explosion. They 'ad her 'oled up in the hospital for almost a year. I met her there. Me wife was ill. Died there. I thought it was a right shame, a girl like her, with a fighting spirit. I organised it so she could be released into a friend of mine's care. He's a doctor, see. I thought she should live her life. She's a clever pup, shouldn't be working at a grocers."

Gibbs turned and looked through the window, mournfully. "I once had an agent, called Caitlin Todd, Harry, she was shot. And a while later, another agent, not part of my team, but still a friend. She was killed in an explosion. Saving us."

Harry, for the first time looked confused. "I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs."

"Her body was never found, presumed to have been blown apart.

"Her name was Paula Cassidy."

Everyone looked through the window.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is going to be quite short, probably not more than six chapters long. Sorry.**

Tony stared at Paula through the mirror. It wasn't possible, Paula's survival was just to good to be true. Things like this didn't happen, maybe he was still asleep, after all, this case is very boring, he reasoned with himself.

"Damn, that proves I'm awake." He slapped himself to make sure anyway.

Ziva looked at him. "Tony, there is no reason to beat yourself up over this."

Tony smiled half-heartedly, "Good one, beat myself up. Ha." He followed with a false laugh.

"I was being honest, serious, sorry. Tony, it is not your fault. Nobody could have expected her to pull herself halfway across Washington..."

"Drag, Ziva. Drag herself."

"… Or to have lost her memory and end up working in a greengrocers."

Tony knew Ziva was just trying to help but he couldn't miss the opportunity to make a blasé joke.

"At least she's not a vegetable."

*

Gibbs sat across from Paula; he hadn't yet told her what they knew. To be honest, Gibbs thought, he himself was at a loss. He didn't know how to handle this.

"Katlyn, how do you know Sergeant Coleman?"

Paula was shaking badly, there was something nagging at the back of her mind, something familiar but she didn't know what, all these agents were acting strange around her. It was as if she made them uncomfortable in some way.

"I told you, Agent Gibbs, he was a regular."

Gibbs tried a different question. "What are you scared of?"

"Heat, flashes of light, loud explo…" she trailed off. "That's not what you mean, is it, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No."

"It's complicated." Paula stopped. "And it doesn't matter."

"Katlyn, have you ever visited the sergeant's house?"

"No," Paula answered truthfully. "No. I didn't." Gibbs just looked at her. "He came to mine. He didn't tell me he was married. At first." She burst out.

Gibbs remained calm. "How did you find out?"

"He told me. Two months ago."

"How long had you been seeing him?"

Paula's brow furled. "Months, seven, eight, perhaps. I loved him. He had his problems, but…"

"But what."

"His wife was clingy. She smothered him, controlled his life. He wanted to break it off, but it was difficult.

"And I know what you're thinking, and she wouldn't. She isn't the type. Jealous, yes. Murderer, no. I don't know how, I just _know_."

"I believe you."

Gibbs stood up and left. She was holding back, maybe something important, maybe not, but Gibbs was uncomfortable not knowing.

"Ziva, I want you to drive Paula back to her house."

Tony looked on in mock horror. "Boss, we've already lost her once."

Gibbs smiled, slapping Tony as he passed him. "Ziva, I want you to drive Paula back to her house, in a _controlled _and _legal_ manner. Better, DiNozzo."

"Much better, boss."

**Please review, reviews bring light into my dreary, grey, exam filled life. Well, reviews and The Beatles.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Guys, I know it's really short, but I entered some dumb agreement, which means I have to UD. If I think of anything I'll add it on and tell anyone who left review/story alert/author alert._

Ziva stopped outside a tenement building. "Is this it?" she asked her passenger.

Paula nodded, but got out the car without a word. Her eyes flashed quickly about her surroundings. Ziva noted this in her subconscious as she put the car in gear.

A man walked across the street tapping Paula's shoulder as he got to her. Ziva put the car in reverse, squeezing out of her space, and drove away.

*

A scream shattered through the still housing area, and Ziva without thinking about it skidded round fast, she knew in her heart and her head it was Paula, something bad was happening. Tony would kill her if Paula died again and the last thing Ziva wanted was for Tony to kill her.

As she thought this, Ziva slammed on the breaks. Typical, she's on the chase of a scream and an old lady on a Zimmer frame gets in her way.

As soon as the lady was clear she accelerated. There was no sign of Paula, but, no need to panic the team unnecessarily. She took out her phone and dialled Paula's number. No answer, and that line was meant to be free to be answered at all times. Paula's home phone had a similar negative ring.

Ziva tried a different number.

"Gibbs, I think we might have a hi- glitch."

*

A man paced behind of Paula. Her lips were bruised and bloody, and her left eye was puffy. The man lashed out again. She winced. He would not stop; he would never stop hurting her. He wanted to know where his stuff was, where it had been hidden.

"I don't dnow." Her lips and smashed nose prevented her from clear speech.

The man struck her again. "Liar," he hissed. "Now where are my things?"

Paula almost wanted to laugh, _things, _was definitely the right name for it. Barry had been right to hide it, he had not brought himself to destroy it, but that was her next task. If she ever made it out.

"Katlyn. _I want my meth."_

Paula was sick of this. "Jordan._ I want to leave._ We don't always get our way in li..."

_A man with a bomb strapped to him stepped through the door way. Tony called out, "Behind you."_

_She dived at him through the door. Tony yelled out as the door slammed behind her. "PAULA!"_

_She was on top of the man, as his finger pressed down. She was almost with her team, somehow she had rolled of him in a few milliseconds before..............._

Tony?


	4. Chapter 4

_Special Agent Daniel Cullen is mine, all mine, ha ha ah... Sorry about that, as are the suspects and victim, but all other characters belong to the genii of the NCIS creative team. This chapter if I was giving them names was going to be Every Five Minutes. _

McGee sat at his desk alone, tracking every clue, every tiny lead. Gibbs and Ziva had gone to question Ms. Colman. Tony and a new agent, who was hanging loose, Daniel Cullen, had gone to Paula's flat. And he had gone to his desk after a futile protest to Gibbs. The task could have gone to Abby but, to Gibbs disgust she was working on another case, which on Director Vance's orders she was not allowed to leave.

Cyber leads to find Paula and her captor, was what Gibbs had called as he'd stepped into the lift.

*

_Tony reciting Woodchuck, Gibbs hits him._ Disjointed images flashed through Paula's mind. _James and his wife, a wedding. Director Shepard, standing over the Washington base, Timmy McGee, a bemused expression on his face. "Da-vid" Ziva called after her._

Other more... personal images began as Jordan drew out a knife.

"Katlyn, it isn't worth this." He slashed her across the shoulder. Blood spread across her shirt.

"That was shallow, Katlyn. Every five minutes, we dig deeper."

"Bastard." She breathed, as the man laughed.

*

McGee was running every number Paula had made against criminal databases.

"Yes, yes. C'mon beauty."McGee urged his computer on. "Boss, Jordan Nottingham."

McGee was speaking to an empty space. He looked around edgily.

"They say, Timothy, my boy, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. Of course if that's true..."

"Ducks, would you mind if... I mean I've got to call Gibbs."

*

"Gibbs." He flipped open his phone. Tim was wittering at the other end. "McGee, name."

A few minutes later, Gibbs turned to face Susie Coleman.

*

Jordan struck her other shoulder, as he had promised, the wound was deeper. Paula sat there, using the pain. She wanted to know what these images were. These memories leaking through.

_Tony lit a cigar. _

_*_

"Ms. Coleman, do you know the name Jordan Nottingham."

Gibbs watched her closely; she betrayed no signs of recognition. A slight stutter that could only be expected when a trained Mossad killer and NCIS marine were interrogating you.

"No, no. Never."

Gibbs nodded. "So, that is despite the fact you were found on CCTV talking to him outside your flat with your husband. Several times. Ziva."

Ziva came up beside her. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. Do you understand these rights?"

Gibbs groaned. He hated it when the suspect had an attorney.

*

Jordan stood in front of Paula. The room looked like an abattoir, blood everywhere, Paula had a bloody scars across her face and body.

"_Where are the fucking drugs?" _Paula smiled as Jordan screamed at her.

She was winning.


	5. Chapter 5

_I know it is mega-ultra short, but I gave my word that I would UD if Emily did, *puts on a bad American accent* an' I stick to my word._

Tony looked over at Agent Cullen. He was tall and black with hair dreadlocked in such a manner that Gibbs would hate. Daniel lifted up Paul's mattress and turned to aim at Tony.

"Ow!" Tony turned in mock anger. "_Junior _Agent Cullen, here's my rule number 1. The only one allowed to flick _these_ about is me." Tony threw Paula's knickers back at Daniel.

"Sorry, DiNozzo."

Tony smiled as he began scanning the floor for upturned carpet, loose floorboards... hidden doors.

"Agent DiNozzo." Cullen called through to the bathroom. "Come here."

Tony walked into the kitchen. A man's voice was coming from the answering machine on the phone. "Do you think McGee's found this yet?"

"_... I swear, Kate, I'll get rid of the stuff. Soon. Oh, and if you want to meet me outside Starbucks on Friday... Well, see you there. I've got work tomorrow so I can't meet up... but Friday's cool. So, um..."_

"What stuff?" Tony scratched is nose. "Ow! Bugger, I just picked a scab."

Daniel wasn't listening, he had started for the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Back to base." Daniel anticipated the next comment. "'Cos there won't be any _stuff_ here. You coming."

***

Gibbs sat staring at his suspect. Waiting for her to break… daring her to break the silence.

"I think I'd like my attorney now." She spoke with perfect calm. Gibbs continued looking at her. "What are the charges against me?"

Ziva came out of Susie's blind spot, slamming the clipboard in front of her and leaning over. "Possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply, kidnap. And murder of a marine."

Susie didn't flinch. "I want my lawyer."

"We haven't actually started interrogation yet, Ms. Coleman." Gibbs stood up and left.

***

McGee looked up. "That was quick, boss. Not that… I thought it wouldn't be but…"

"McGee."

"Sorry, boss."

McGee looked over at Tony as Gibbs left for his coffee. Tony grinned. "Zee-vah isn't back yet."

They both looked in the direction of interrogation. McGee's jaw dropped in realisation, "Oh."

***

The flashbacks had stopped, and Paula was no more closer to knowing what they meant. Her face was stained red, her hair was stiff with brown dried blood. Her clothes were torn, and ragged scars and bruises covered her body. But despite this, Paula was smiling, because as long as she was smiling she was pissing the pants off her captor.

Jordan paced in front of her again, why was she smiling, he was killing her, yet she was smiling? Why the hell was she smiling?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry it's taken so long. But here you go, it's short, but my excuse is that I bashed a few brain cells out when I fell down two flights of stairs. That's also my excuse for how c**p and unimaginative this chapter is. My current state makes me feel really sorry for what I'm doing to Paula. This is a bridge between the (hopefully) good chapters. Probably only two more to follow this chapter until I finish it off, as I want to concentrate on CyberSpace. Wow, I only just put this up, then checked how long it is. It's tiny. It looked longer on Word.**_

Jordan waited; he was beginning to be unnerved by the victim staring at him. That half smile, like she knew something he didn't, something he didn't want to know. He should have had a phone call from the boss by now. But no one had rung. Leaving him sitting keeping an eye on Paula.

*

"Yes. Fine. I found my husband was cheating on me with some skank from the local greengrocers. She had found out about his addiction. She had found out who allowed his bloody addiction to continue. He never loved me. He married me for a bit of cash. He's a marine, hardly the highest paying job in the country, and to get his fix. Together they robbed me of a considerable amount of meth."

Ziva pulled her knife from the wall. "So you decided to kill him."

"Yes." The woman shrugged.

"Katlyn told us you weren't a murderer."

"Maybe she wanted to deal with this on her own terms. Maybe she didn't want the police involved, just to ruin my career."

"Why wouldn't she want the police involved?"

"They might have found out who she was, how she'd faked her own death..."

Daniel Cullen burst through the door. "Sorry, Officer David..."

"Dah-veed." She snapped round.

"Yeah, um, Gibbs wants you. He says just leave her." Dan looked slightly uncomfortable. "Now... please."

Ziva stood up nodding at Daniel as she passed him. She turned into the bullpen. Gibbs was already leaving. Tony and McGee grabbing their gear were close on his heels. Daniel and Ziva crashed together as they tried to slip into the closing doors of the lift. Daniel took a step back, automatically raising his hands as Ziva turned to face him. He glanced around before bolting for the stairs. Ziva allowed herself a slight smile before setting off in pursuit.

Less than a second after she had disappeared down the stairs, the lift pinged and Tony stuck his head out of it, "Zee. Boss, she's not there."

A sharp crack followed. "Ow. C'mon, boss I did _not_ deserve that."

*

Paula's lips moved soundlessly. A prayer. She was finally scared, her head was spinning, keeping conscious was becoming more painful by the second, she was aware that she had lost huge amount of blood, she was aware she still was losing blood. The pain was slowly turning her mocking smile to a grimace. She wanted to curl up and die. But that was what Jordan wanted too.

She had... to... stay... awake...

**I know I used "as" too much, other than that review and criticise as much as you want. I know it's not v. Good and shorter than most, even my last chapter beat this. I'll try to do better next time. More excuses: I'm typing with one right handed finger. And I'm a lefty. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **_**WHOO-HOO!!!**_

**UD! Hmmm, can anyone remember what happened in the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, I do not own Trap Door. Bummer.**

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, McGee and Daniel stepped from their cars. Tony's tip-off had led them to a typically dark, grimy warehouse. Gibbs motioned Tony and Ziva round the side of the building, Daniel and McGee charged the front with him. Tony glanced around, spotting a door on the ground thirty feet round from where they had left the others.

"Zee-vah, '_but that's nothing compared to the horrors that lurk beneath the Trap Door. For there is always something down there, in the dark, waiting to come out'._"

Ziva raised a single eyebrow and walked over to the trapdoor kicking downwards, it fell away beneath her. Tony scratched his head, "I'll stay up here, and follow the moral of the song."

"What song?"

" '_Don't you open that trapdoor, You're a fool if you dare.... Stay away from that trapdoor, 'Cos there's something down there....'_" Tony bobbed his head along. "You must know "Trap Door"? -You don't know Trap Door?!"

Ziva shook her head despairingly as she stuck it down the hole, flashing a torch up and down the tunnel. Tony looked at her in disbelief. "Zee, did you _have _a childhood?" He laughed.

_No_, Ziva pointedly kept her head in the hole as she dropped below, _No, Tony, I did not have a childhood. I did not watch television, I did not laugh. I looked after my sister, I helped my father. No, Tony, I did not have a childhood._

As she dropped out of sight Tony noticed the silence, the lack of a smart-assed answer. He dropped down beside her, doubling over automatically in the 5 foot high tunnel. "This is gonna do nothing for our posture, Zee."

*

Jordon kicked Paula. She did not stir at first. "Not so brave now, are you Kate-y?"

"Not so brave now, Kate-y." He repeated himself, mocking, leering over her as she twitched round painfully.

Paula struggled to her elbows, gasping for air. "Don't- call-me-that."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Katlyn." He spat out the name.

"My name- my name is Paula Cassidy. And- I- am already dead, - Jordon. You don't die- twice."

"Wetten dass. I don't really care for your life story. We were telling me where the drugs were."

"No, _we_ were distracting you."

Jordon turned on his heels, grabbing Paula and holding a gun to her head he looked Gibbs in the eye. Gibbs held the gun steadily upright.

The two men said in unison, "Drop the gun."

Neither followed the others advice, both fired.

*

Tony and Ziva dashed into the room, two bodies lay on the floor. One, barely breathing, the other stone dead. Gibbs knelt beside Paula. She smiled in recognition.

"Gibbs, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"What would you do if I hit Ziva?"

"I would give the two of you a lift to the emergency room."

Paula choked as she tried to laugh, "Don't bother."

Tony started forward, but Paula interrupted him. "God, some people are bastards. I did burn the drugs by the way. They're not stashed anywhere… And Tony… I need to say goodbye."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do, because this time, I doubt I'll luck out."

*

Tony looked down at Paula's still face, lying at peace in her coffin. Her hair was splayed out behind her head, she looked beautiful. Ziva lay a hand on his shoulder, before following McGee and Gibbs towards the gates. Tony kissed her cold forehead, "Goodbye."

**I'm sorry this was short and abrupt and a really bad ending, but I'd lost my flow and I didn't want to drag it out. It would have been too painful, and I really want to work on my West wing stories (sorry, Emily), I'll keep on writing NCIS but probably OneShots and stuff from the earlier seasons, like CSI (actually like all the CSI's) and Law And Order, the writers seem to be fizzling out and heading in directions I really don't like, go Seasons 2-4.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Cheers to YouGottaSingAlong for the quotes from "The Trap Door". And Tiva4eva, OutCold anf YouGottaSingAlong, for irritating me into completing this.**


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